In April-May 2011 the government announced it would advertise all state board positions, for chairs of boards in newspapers and ordinary members online on the department's website atleast.
I searched but cannot find a definitive announcement of this decision which would be directed via Brendan Howlins Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. I also searched Merrionstreet - Irish Government News service.
There references in parliamentary answers about 'Government Decision S180/20/10/1424 of April 2011' and in many other replies and the ads themselves like this example from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
In accordance with the Government’s recent decision, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Mr. Brendan Howlin TD, invites expressions of interest from persons interested in being appointed to the boards of State Bodies and Agencies operating under the Department’s aegis.
but still,
In making any board appointments, the Minister will not necessarily be confined to those who make such expressions of interest but will ensure that all of those appointed have the relevant qualifications for the positions.
There wasn't much coverage of the decision that week, there was an article in the Irish Times Public can apply for State board vacancies Irish Times Stephen Collins April 13, 2011 Snippet of article available via Highbeam archive.
At its meeting yesterday the Cabinet approved a memorandum from Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin proposing that vacancies on State boards should in future be advertised on the website of the relevant Government department.
and a very short news piece on RTE
State board nominees to face Oireachtas RTE news 12 April 2011.
Government departments will also invite expressions of interest for places on State boards when they become vacant.
It is anticipated that the advertisement will appear on departmental websites.
The Taoiseach
Fine Gael promised in its pre-election manifesto (page 64) Fine Gael assserted.
To facilitate the transition to the new regime, the directors of all State bodies will be asked to resign and re-apply for their positions within six months of a Fine Gael led Government coming into power.
The issue was only raised that April in the context of Enda Kenny getting advice from the Attorney General that they could not repeal appointments made in the last minute by the previous government.
Appointments to State Boards Wednesday, 13 April 2011.
The Taoiseach: I asked the Attorney General for her advice regarding the appointments to State boards by Ministers of the former Government in the period between the recent election campaign and the formation of the new Government, the appropriateness of these appointments during that period and whether there may be an opportunity to address this further. During this period of time, the previous Government appointed 110 people to State boards. Legal advice from the Attorney General states that it is not possible to remove these appointees.
(each summer, after elections and the time around reshuffle also seem to times when these announcement are made and made to go unnoticed, its ridiculous that TDs have to ask questions in the Dail every now again (or having to email the dept) in order for anyone to become aware of these appointments, and that they are not automatically listed. Catherine Murphy has to ask about appointments to state boards by the Departments of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht from Minister Jimmy Deenihan shortly after the local elections and shortly before the reshuffle where Jane Dillon Byrne who failed to retain her council seat was appointted to IMMA.)
and an announcement of the decision to advertise positions in May 2011,
Appointments to State Boards Tuesday, 3 May 2011.
The Taoiseach: The Government has decided that new arrangements will be put in place for the making of appointments to State boards and bodies. In future, Departments will invite expressions of interest on their websites for vacancies on the boards of bodies under their aegis. Ministers will not necessarily be confined to those who make expressions of interest, but will ensure all appointees have the relevant qualifications.
The Taoiseach: The Government has also decided that those who are being proposed for appointment as chairpersons of State boards will be required to make themselves available to the appropriate Oireachtas committee to discuss the approach they will take as chairperson and their views about the future contribution of the body or board in question. Following that discussion, decisions will be taken by the Minister or the Government, as appropriate, to confirm the nominee as chairperson.
The Taoiseach: The change here is pretty dramatic in the context of what went on before.
The Taoiseach: There is a difference between what will happen in the future and what occurred in the past
Other Ministers
'Good Governance: setting the tone from the top' at Institute for Public Administration by the recently appointed Minister of State for Public Sector Reform, Brian Hayes, TD April 8th, 2011
Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar announced all appointments to state bodies under his department would be advertised before it was agreed by cabinet.
Varadkar says vacancies on State boards to be advertised
THE MINISTER for Transport, Tourism and Sport has announced that all vacancies on State boards in the coming year under his remit will be advertised over the next few weeks. A memorandum for Government on appointments to semi-State bodies is currently being prepared by Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin.
State Board jobs to be open to public. The Herald, Cormac Murphy – 29 March 2011.
Varadkar jumps gun over how to fill state board jobs. Independent Michael Brennan 29/03/2011.
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (Deputy Leo Varadkar)
Since my Department advertised new procedures for appointments to boards on Friday 8th April 2011, all appointments from that date have followed these procedures. However given the importance of ensuring the right mix of skills and experience on every board,but still
appointments are not necessarily confined to those who have made an expression of interest.
(Must add information about his Private members bill on appointments from Varadkar 2008 and his aim for reduction in quangos.)
Public Appointments Transparency Bill 2008 [PMB] Sponsored by Deputy Leo Varadkar.
First StageDebate 2008 Oireachtas.ie.
Second Stage.
Departments
Departments which already list state board appointments and vacancies Listed the ones I found so far, and what details they provided. Haven't checked them all yet.
Education and Skills.
Transport, Tourism and Sport.
Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.
Agriculture, Food and the Marine (lists vacancies).
As always pdf's are not the best way to do this, need some way to be automatically notified of vacancies and appointments as they come about, Brendan Howlin says they will be all advertised and listed on stateboards.ie soon but thats more future promises I'm not interested in. I asked for all senior civil and public service positions to be listed on data.gov.ie.
Fees
Senator Katherine Zappone received a partial list of fees via the Oireachtas Library and Research Services.
I don't have problem with a small payment for chairs or travel expenses for members, I'd actually be more worried why they so keen to do it for nothing as we've seen in this case.
I looked at the powers of Minister in my previous post.
Committees advising Ministers
Eamon ryan in recent days pointed to his party's time in government having made the biggest changes in state board appointments particular in the area of Broadcasting via the Broadcasting Act 2009.
It was said the committee would be involved in appointing people to state boards of BAI, RTE, TG4. (Something in process at the moment Four new nominees for the RTÉ Board and BAI 2014 Senator Terry Brennan "I took part in a working group in which we examined 129 applications for appointments to the RTE Authority and to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland." )
Broadcasting Act 2009.
Appointment of board.
81.— (1) The number of members of the board of a corporation shall be 12 in number, of which—
(b) subject to subsection (2), 4 of them shall be appointed by the Government on the nomination of the Minister,
(2) Where an appointment is to be made by the Government under subsection (1)(b) or under that paragraph arising from a vacancy referred to in section 84 (12)—
(a) the Minister shall inform the Joint Oireachtas Committee of the proposed appointment,
(b) The Minister in respect of an appointment under subsection (1)(a) shall provide a statement to the Joint Oireachtas Committee indicating the relevant experience and expertise of the persons or person nominated by the Minister for appointment or appointed by the Government on the nomination of the Minister, and such other matters as the Minister considers relevant,
(c) the Joint Oireachtas Committee shall within the period of 90 days of being so informed, advise the Minister of the names of the persons or name of the person it proposes that the Minister should nominate under subsection (1)(b) giving reasons, such as relevant experience and expertise, in relation to the proposed named persons or person,
(d) the Minister shall have regard to the advice and may accept the proposed named persons or some of them or the named person or decide to nominate as he or she sees fit other persons or another person, and
(e) inform the Joint Oireachtas Committee of his or her decision.
Michael Martin called it a radical initiative, not so radical, Minister still free to do what s/he likes, it possibly only means he cannot act so quickly.
although the listing of the State board appointments under the Department Communications, Marine and Natural Resources started during the previous government to that.
Launch of egovernance.ie website, which lists appointments and vancancies of 18 state boards. Speech by Minister Noel Dempsey, T.D. at the Launch of eGovernance.ie Website Monday, 2 April 2007.
Department Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
Recent parliamentary questions to each department state board appointments including the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
Irish Museum of Modern Art
Appointments since 2 June 2011 - Qualifications/Experience of Appointees
Emma Goltz - A patron of the Arts and company director.
Jane Dillon Byrne - A former member of the Arts Council; she currently serves on the board of the Pavilion Theatre
Sheila O'Regan - A museum curator, radio producer and presenter and historian.
John McNulty - Businessman active in local cultural, sporting and language initiatives.
IMMA still doesn't list Sheila O'Regan as a board member even though she was appointed on the September 12th the same day as John McNulty.
although it doesn't make the distinction of which Minister made the appointments, compare to July 2014 list.
Studies
State Boards in Ireland 2012 Challenges for the future Institute of Directors in Ireland
The institute of Directors surveyed 45 of its members who sit on state boards in Febraury-March 2012 a year after the policy to advertise was announced.
Advertising is one thing; however, the process of selection and appointment must be transparent
Unconvinced yet that the decision to advertise is genuinely about improving transparency
and they also did a poll of how people came to know of the vacant positions which was mostly either 'word of mouth' or contact from the Minister or Department.
State boards performing well, but appointment process and relevant skills need to be addressed.
Public Appointments: Options for Reform July 2012 by Paula Clancy and Nat O’Connor TASC Think-tank for Action on Social Change.
Which looks at three 'Models for Reform of Appointment'.
Model A - Transparency
Model B – Transparency with Oversight
Model C – Independent Public Appointments
and recommended applying all three where appropiate.
Promises made on reforming State board process Irish Times October 1st 2014 by Harry McGee who also note previous promises for change.
The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Alex White TD when asked about Appointments to State Boards and the assistances of the Public Appointment Service in doing so.
In accordance with the Government Decision of 12 April 2011, my predecessor commenced a process of seeking, on the Department’s website, expressions of Interest from persons wishing to be considered for appointment to vacancies on State Boards under the aegis of this Department. This information has been used to inform decisions for such appointments, but I would stress that such invitations are designed to extend the range of suitable persons from which a Minister might make appointments, not to constrain it.
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